151st Regiment Royal Armoured Corps
|allegiance= |branch= British Army |type=Armoured Regiment |role=Infantry Support |size= |command_structure=Royal Armoured Corps |garrison= |equipment= Churchill tank |battles= |decorations= |disbanded=1943 }} 151st Regiment Royal Armoured Corps (10th Bn King's Own) (151 RAC) was a tank regiment of the British Army's Royal Armoured Corps during World War II. Origin 151st Regiment RAC was formed on 1 December 1941 by the conversion to the armoured role of 10th Battalion of the King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster), a hostilities-only infantry battalion raised in 1940.http://web.archive.org/web/20060104054136/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/004KORR.htm 10th King's Own had been serving in British 225th Independent Infantry Brigade (Home), a Home Service formation, when it was redesignated 35th Army Tank Brigade.Joslen, pp. 206, 386. In common with other infantry units transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps, all personnel would have continued to wear their King's Own cap badge on the black beret of the RAC.Forty pp. 50–1. Training Based at Prudhoe in Northumberland, the regiment began receiving Churchill tanks in February 1942.151 RAC War Diaries February–December 1942, The National Archives, Kew file WO 166/6943. In August 1942 151 RAC was transferred to Westgate-on-Sea in Kent to serve with 25th Army Tank Brigade in 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division, (at that time training as a 'mixed' division).Joslen, pp. 69, 203. Shortly afterwards, 25th Tank Bde was replaced by 34th Tank Brigade, and 151 RAC transferred to this formation.Joslen, p. 207.151 RAC War Diary September 1942, The National Archives file WO 166/6943. During 1943 the regiment continued to be based at various places in Kent, training in the Infantry tank role with 43rd (Wessex) and 59th (Staffordshire) Infantry Divisions, including wading trials for amphibious operations.151 RAC War Diary 1943, The National Archives file WO 166/11115. One night in December 1943, while based at Folkestone, the regiment's camp was shelled by German artillery batteries on the French coast, and lost a few vehicles destroyed and damaged.151 RAC War Diary December 1943, The National Archives file WO 166/11115. Disbandment In autumn 1943 the decision was made disband surplus tank regiments. One of those selected was 107th Regiment RAC, which had been formed from 5th Battalion King's Own. A 'token party' of three officers and 47 other ranks from 107 RAC was sent to 151 RAC.107 RAC (King's Own) War Diaries September–December 1943, The National Archives, file WO 166/11100. On 30 December 1943 151 RAC formally disbanded in order to adopt the number of 107 RAC – thus perpetuating the link with 5th Bn King's Own, a permanent 'first line' Territorial battalion as opposed to the 'hostilities-only' 10th Bn that had become 151 RAC.Joslen, p. 207.151 RAC (10th King's Own) War Diary November 1943 Appendix F, The National Archives file WO 166/11115. Under its new designation, the regiment served in Normandy, the Netherlands and Germany during the North-West Europe campaign, before disbanding in 1945. Notes References * George Forty, "British Army Handbook 1939-1945", Stroud: Sutton Publishing, 1998, ISBN 0-7509-1403-3. * Category:Military units and formations established in 1941 Category:Regiments of the Royal Armoured Corps Category:Royal Armoured Corps Category:Regiments of the British Army in World War II Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1943